Back in 1954, George Plimpton –– the first and only editor of the Paris Review –– interviewed Ernest Hemingway at a café in Madrid.

(You can read the conversation in its entirety here…)

Hemingway came across as a jaded asshole for most of the discussion.

So much so, that reading the interview left me with the overwhelming urge to cold-cock his ghost.

At one point, Hemingway was so fed up with Plimpton’s questions he asked him why he was taking time away from writing to answer them.

Despite this, there were quite a few gems.

Midway through the interview, Plimpton mentioned that the day prior Hemingway had said James Joyce couldn’t bear to talk about writing.

To which Hemingway responded…

“The better the writers the less they will speak about what they have written themselves.“

Isn’t this true for anything?

Generally, we know who the most impressive individual in a room is, without them ever having to speak a word.

By Cole Schafer.